Top Secret
by bewarethepotato
Summary: Ginny Weasley and her best friend, Roberta Granger, Hermione's sister, hatch a brilliant plan, involving their very stubborn brother and sister...
1. The Beginning (how's that for an origina...

Top secret

By HermioneFan (duh)

Disclaimer: In this fic, I own…practically nothing ::sigh:: Except Bob, of course. 

Author's note: I hope you like this fic, because I have spent weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks…you get the idea… writing it. Pleeeeease review! Flames welcome! Only don't flame me just for bringing Bob into existence. If you don't like her, that's tough.

My apologies to any Cho fans out there ::cough, weirdoes, cough::. I hate Cho with all my heart, and she does not feature in this fic at all.

I also apologise to fans of Lavender and Parvati. I see them as airheads, and so that is how they are portrayed.

***

Ginny Weasley sat bolt upright in bed, awake in an instant. "Brilliant." She whispered to herself, "Utterly brilliant." She swung herself out of bed, slipped her feet into a pair of fluffy pink slippers and crept across the room to wake her best friend.

"Bob! Bob! Wake up!" she whispered, shaking her by the shoulder. Roberta Granger (more commonly known as "Bob") opened her eyes sleepily. She reached for her glasses and put them on, and the sixth year Gryffindor girls' dorm jumped suddenly into focus. 

"Wha- what is it?" she yawned. Then her Granger instinct kicked in and she glared at Ginny. "You know we're not allowed to be talking at…" she consulted her watch, "3 o'clock in the morning!" she whispered accusingly. 

Ginny rolled her eyes. 

In spite of their friendship, the two girls couldn't have been more different. They both had red hair, but Ginny's was long and wavy, and Bob's was cut short, and tied back in a practical ponytail. By now, in their sixth year, Ginny had outgrown her shyness, and was also extremely pretty, making her one of the most popular girls in the year among the male population of Hogwarts. She, however, still had eyes only for Harry, and only since last year, when Cho had been killed by Voldemort, had he begun to return her affection (Ginny furiously denied everything, of course, but Bob had a few pictures, taken with Colin Creevey's camera, of Ginny and Harry kissing behind the greenhouses, which she planned to use, if necessary, for blackmail at a later stage). 

Bob, on the other hand, was almost unknown, even by the boys in her own year, and she liked it that way. She regarded the male species in general as "goggly-eyed vultures" to use her own words, with nothing better to do than talk about Quidditch and gape at girls.

Bob could be considered pretty, that is, if you squinted at her across the street on a misty day, but her strengths were in books, and so she couldn't care less.

Ginny sighed. "Yes, I _know _we're not allowed to talk, Bob. Lighten up!"

Bob pursed her lips, but said nothing, and Ginny continued, "Anyway, I've just come up with the brilliantest, most wonderfullest plan _ever, _and don't you _dare _correct my grammar." she added as Bob opened her mouth to speak.

"Can't you tell me in the morning?" Bob complained, glancing around as if she expected to see McGonagall swooping down on them at any minute.

"No!" hissed Ginny. "You see, I've been thinking- "

"That's a nice change," Bob commented.

Ginny glared at her. "_As I was saying,_ I was thinking about how we're going to keep in touch when we leave school. I know we've still got a year at Hogwarts, but it's been bugging me all the same. Anyway, here's my plan. We make sure that _my _brother marries _your _sister…"

"…which would make us sisters-in-law!" finished Bob, excitedly. "You're a genius, Gin!" 

"I know," replied Ginny, modestly.

"But," Bob frowned, "that could be very tricky. The two of them are, at present, ill disposed to converse with one another…"

Ginny groaned. "And if you translate that into English for us non-rocket scientists?" 

"_We _non-rocket scientists," corrected Bob, automatically, and continued before Ginny could say anything: "What I said was, they're having another one of their fights, and, apart from the occasional screaming match, they haven't talked to each other for three weeks." 

"Oh yes." said Ginny, "That could present a problem."

"And the fact that Hermione's going out with Terry Oot, or Root, or Boot or something. You know, the Head Boy." 

"And Ron with Hannah Abbott." Ginny said

"_Hannah Abbott? _HANNAH ABBOTT? You mean _the _Hannah Abbott? Of Hufflepuff? With the pigtails?"

"Well, how many Hannah Abbotts do you know?"

"Is he mad? Or did he just have too many butterbeers?" queried Bob incredulously, her mouth hanging open, revealing her all too prominent Granger front teeth.

Ginny shrugged. "Must've done, I s'pose. Anyway, how's that for a brilliant plan?" 

"Great," agreed Bob, "but it's 4:12am, and I would very much like to get some sleep before morning."

The next day, at breakfast, Bob whispered to Ginny, "If we're going to do this thing properly, we're going to need help from the masters of matchmaking themselves…"

"You don't mean…" Ginny shuddered.

"I'm afraid so." Bob nodded grimly.

"Isn't there _anyone _else?" pleaded Ginny.

"Do you know of anyone?"

Ginny sighed and began to butter a piece of toast. "All right. Parvati and Lavender it is." 

That evening, in the common room, Bob and Ginny found Parvati and Lavender. It wasn't hard. Even at Hogwarts, there aren't many giggly, pink, fluffy Christmas trees lying around the castle, especially in early October. They made their way through the crowded common room towards what looked like a collection of anything pink, glittery or generally girly that had ever existed.

A year or two before, Lavender and Parvati had claimed one corner of the common room, and now no sane person dared approach. Copies of "Teen Witch Weekly" lay scattered about, as well as half-used lipsticks and nail polishes in various shades of pink and mauve.

Bob and Ginny edged nervously nearer. As they reached the edge of this pink paradise, Bob said nervously, "Er, Lavender? Parvati?"

Parvati, swathed in pink, swung round gracefully. "Yes?"

It was such a dramatic move, that Bob half expected her to add: "You have dared to enter the domain of the Giggly Ones. Behold, mortal…" Or something along those lines, but then she realised that there probably weren't so many words in Parvati's vocabulary.

"Well?" said Lavender impatiently. "We _are _very busy, you know."

Wow, gossiping must be harder work than we give them credit for, thought Ginny.

"We need help," said Bob.

"With matchmaking." added Ginny.

"Ooooh!" squealed Parvati and Lavender, shrilly. "Matchmaking!"

"Keep it down!" hissed Bob.

"So will you help us?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe," said Lavender, studying a set of perfectly manicured purple nails with a feigned lack of interest. "What will you give us if we do?" 

"The latest gossip on Harry and Ginny." Bob blurted out, before her friend could stop her. Ginny kicked her, hard.

"Er, I mean, Harry and, er, Hannah, um, Abbott, of course. Did I say Ginny? I meant Hannah." Bob added, quickly and unconvincingly.

But Parvati and Lavender were not as slow on the uptake as most people thought (when gossip was involved, at least). 

"Ooh, Harry and Ginny? Do tell." cooed Parvati.

Ginny went a furious shade of crimson even Lavender and Parvati's make up manufacturers had never heard of. She gave Bob a furious look, which said, all too clearly, "You just wait until I get my hands on you, Roberta Granger…"

Bob smiled sweetly, and passed an envelope into Lavender's claws. "This is for all the times you've set me up with Colin." she mouthed. 

Lavender opened the envelope and gave an ear-piercing shriek, rivalled only by Parvati's, when she saw the photos of Harry and Ginny that Bob had taken. Then the pair of them collapsed (literally) into fits of giggles. 

"Thank you, Bob." muttered Ginny, through gritted teeth.

"My pleasure." grinned Bob, and then, to Parvati and Lavender, "So can you help us?" 

"All right," said Parvati. "I'd say these photos are a-, am-, am-, er…"

"Ample?" supplemented Bob.

"That's right! These are _apple _repayment for our worthwhile help."

"Meet us here tomorrow," continued Lavender, with the air of a benevolent queen, granting her lowliest subjects their deepest wish. "We'll tell you what to do." 

***

A/N: Did you like it? If yes, review and tell me. If no, review and tell me anyway. It's good exercise for your fingers! Just press that li'l ol' button down there on the left. Tell me all my mistakes; spelling, grammar, plot etc. Flames are welcome, but constructive criticism will make me much happier, and you won't find yourself at the Slytherin/Hufflepuff (thanks Quiet One!) table in my next fic.

Aside from that, **please** tell me what you think of Cho Chang. I'm doing a sort of survey to see what other fanfic writers think of her. Just tell me, do you: love her/ hate her/ don't mind her?

**Next chapter**: Ron and Ginny have a fight, Lavender and Parvati give their "worthwhile" help, and Hermione finds a question she can't answer.


	2. Trouble

Top secret

By HermioneFan

Disclaimer: If you really need to read this line, you're an idiot.

Author's Note: Parvati and Lavender are even more exaggerated in this chapter. I'm glad my SOLE REVIEWER doesn't mind. Thank you. And when you review, **don't forget to tell me what you think of Cho Chang! **It's very important. Anyway, I'll shut up now so you can read the story.

***

Same time next day, Ginny and Bob ventured into Parvati and Lavender's corner again. 

"Here you are," said Parvati, thrusting a folded up scrap of parchment into Ginny's hands. "Read and remember. These are, without a shadow of a duck, the most important things you will ever learn at Hogwarts."

Bob gave a snort, but turned it hastily into a hacking cough.

"Thank you, oh, er, Great and Giggly Ones!" she said, and she and Ginny crept up to their dorm to read the note.

***

Left to themselves, Parvati and Lavender took out the photos of Harry and Ginny again with a contented sigh. Parvati giggled, "Wait 'till everyone sees these!"

"I don't know if we should, though," said Lavender thoughtfully, "what if they embarrass poor Ginny?" Her friend looked at her, equally thoughtful.

"Come on, let's go pin them on the notice board!" 

***

Up in the sixth-year dorm, Bob unfolded Lavender and Parvati's note. It read: 

Grate idees 4 matchmaking

1. Send leterrs from 1 too the uther

2. Giv eech uther Xmas presents

3. Send leterrs too both of them arranjing a meeting (eg hogsmeed)

4. See what they think abowt eech uther. (DO THIS FURST!!!!!!!)

5. Scrall notes on eech uthers' work (eg on jinny's work 'I luv harry', WERE HARRY WILL FIND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

6. Tell 1 that u think the uther 1 likes them

7. Get ridd of any1 els they like

GOOD LUK!!!!

Bob pulled a face. "Gosh, talk about illegible…and their _spelling_!"

"Never mind their spelling!" groaned Ginny, rolling her eyes. "This is _vital _to our plan. Read, memorise and burn this."

Bob raised an eyebrow. "Burn it? Aren't you going _slightly _over the top?"

"Well…" began Ginny, but just then, the other two girls in their dorm burst in. Bob hastily stuffed Parvati and Lavender's note under a pillow.

"Wow, Ginny!" exclaimed Caitlin (loudly, as always), a boisterous American person of whom Bob was not overly fond, finding her loud, frivolous and irresponsible. Caitlin, in turn, thought Bob was an irritating know-it-all.

"What?" said Ginny, confused.

"Those photos of you up on the notice board!" piped up Caitlin's friend Annie Rogers, a quiet, mousy girl.

"Those photos of me WHERE?! " yelled Ginny, and ran down into the common room, where what looked like the entire house was clustered around the notice board, most of them in fits of hysterical giggles. Ron made his way furiously over to her. 

"Ginny!" he roared. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING KISSING MY BEST FRIEND?" 

Then he spotted Harry at the other end of the room. "Harry!" he bellowed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING KISSING MY LITTLE SISTER?"

He grabbed Ginny by the wrist and dragged her over to where Harry sat, trying, unsuccessfully, to hide behind Hermione's copy of the Daily Prophet.

Ron yanked the paper out of his hands and stood glaring at Harry with an expression that would have made a basilisk quail. 

"Er, yes?" inquired Harry innocently.

"What are you…" Ron began, but:

"Oh, just shut _up, _Ron!" screamed Ginny, wrenching her arm furiously away. "Get over it!" she shrieked, "Anyone would think I was three years old, the way you carry on! I'm _sixteen_! I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you very much, older brother! Would you just stop taking it out on me and Harry every time you have a fight with Hermione?"

"It's got nothing to do with her!" Ron yelled back, ears crimson.

"Yeah right!" shouted Ginny. At this point, they both realised two things: firstly, just how loudly they'd been yelling, and secondly that the common room had gone very quiet. Ron looked around. Every single head in the common room was turned towards them. Even Hermione had looked up from her work to glare disapprovingly at them. "Typical," she muttered, and returned to her Arithmancy work. 

Both Weasleys turned bright red. "What're you lot staring at?" yelled Ron. "Go on! Go…go…go rob the kitchens or something!" 

It had absolutely no effect. The whole house gaped at him. "Oh, I give up!" said Ron crossly, and stormed up the stairs to the boys' dorm. Instantly, whispers and giggles broke out all over the common room. Ginny sank down next to Harry, who put his arm around her, comfortingly. 

Hermione, in her capacity as Head Girl, took it upon herself to end the gossip. She stood up. "I'm sure you've all got homework to do…"

Most people (all right, so all the people) stared at her blankly. 

"If not," she went on, a McGonagall-like glint in her eye, "I could find you some…" 

Immediately, there was a rustle of parchment and the squeak of inkbottles being opened. The room fell silent as people got back (or pretended to get back) to work. Silence reigned - for the next ten seconds. Then the usual friendly chatter started up again.

Bob decided to put stage one of their plan into action. She wandered across the crowded room to where Hermione sat, working as usual.

"So," Bob said, "what do you think of Ron?" 

"Who?" Hermione replied frostily.

"You know," prompted Bob, "Ron Weasley - tall, red hair, blue eyes…"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just out of interest," shrugged Bob.

"Well, if you really want to know," said Hermione, tossing her quill down on the table and leaning back in her chair, "I think he's a moronic, selfish, brainless pig, with no respect for rules or teachers or…or…anything! And," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "I once even saw him _draw in a library book_!" 

Bob gasped. (anyone not related to the Grangers might find this strange, but the Granger sisters had been brought up with the solemn belief that if you draw in, tear, wet, dirty, deface, step on or even _look _at a library book with menacing intent, you will be cursed for life.)

"So what did you do?" Bob asked in an awed whisper.

"Well, I reported him to Madam Pince, of course," Hermione stated, matter-of-factly. "and took five points from Gryffindor."

Bob nodded approvingly. "Okay, thanks," she said, "'Night!"

***

Hermione shook her head as her sister disappeared up the girls' staircase. Strange, she thought. Funny thing to ask. I wonder why…

But there are some questions even Hermione Granger can't answer.

***

A/N: In case there are some really, really stupid fanfic readers out there, please don't criticise my spelling/grammar in Lav and Parv's note. I _know _you can't have multiple exclamation marks; I _know _the apostrophes are in the wrong place and yes, I can spell. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease (and I know you can't do that either) review! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF CHO!

**Next chapter (or 2): **Bob gets detention, Ginny calls for some double matchmaking, Ron gets clobbered with a broomstick and Bob gets woken up in the middle of the night.


	3. More Trouble

Top secret

By HermioneFan

Disclaimer: You're not that dumb, are you?

Author's Note: I warn you, this chapter is utterly pointless.

Tell me what you think of Cho Chang! Anyone who reviewed my fanfic and DIDN'T tell me obviously didn't read the whole thing. To those who did, thank you.

Thanks to all my new reviewers! I will try to review your stories as soon as I have time. Okay, so here goes with another chapter…

***

Bob went back up to her dorm, where Annie and Caitlin were still discussing Harry and Ginny. 

"I wonder who took those photos?" pondered Annie.

"Yeah, they'll be for it when Ginny finds out!" responded Caitlin gleefully.

"Oh, give it a rest!" groaned Bob, flinging herself on her bed and opening _Hogwarts, a History. Caitlin and Annie exchanged Meaning Glances, and then Caitlin whipped the book out of Bob's hands._

"Hey!" said Bob, "Give that back!"

"Why?" asked Caitlin, teasingly.

"Because," Bob replied, through gritted teeth, "I was reading it." 

"There's more to life than books, Bob," Caitlin said, holding the book tauntingly out of reach.

"And there's a lot more to life than gossip, Caitlin." Bob reached for her wand.

Caitlin was dancing around the room, holding Bob's book above her head.

"Do I really have to do this?" Bob asked quietly.

"Give it back, Cait," said Annie, the more law-abiding of the pair, nervously.

"Ooh, is the little bookworm getting angry?" taunted Caitlin.

Bob sprang to her feet.

_"Inverterus!"__ she yelled, and Caitlin found herself upside down, with her feet stuck to the ceiling._

"Hey!" yelled Caitlin, "Get me down!"

Bob ignored her and summoned her book. "You're lucky it's a pretty basic curse," she commented, "I could have used a more advanced one, _without a counter curse."_

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Hermione appeared in the doorway. The sixth years gulped (or at least, Bob and Annie did, and Caitlin would have done, had she not been hanging from the ceiling). They hadn't realised how much noise they'd been making. The Head Girl's eyes took in Caitlin hanging next to the chandelier, Bob with her wand raised and Annie hovering nervously in the background.

"Oh no," Hermione muttered, "All right, what did you do this time?" she asked wearily, waving her wand and muttering a counter curse, so that Caitlin drifted safely back to earth, unharmed.

All three girls poured out their explanations in a confused stream. Hermione held up a hand. "Bob," she said, "You explain."

Bob told her everything that had happened.

"Roberta Granger!" said Hermione sharply, when her sister had finished. "You are _not allowed to curse your fellow students. I would have thought you, of all people…Detention! Go to the library on Tuesday evening, I'm sure Madam Pince will find you something to do…And you, Caitlin, five points from Gryffindor for your childish behaviour." And with that, she turned and went back down the stairs to the common room._

"She's turning into a right Percy," complained Caitlin, who had been in trouble with the third-oldest Weasley many times in the past, throwing herself on her bed.

"For once," said Bob ruefully, "I couldn't agree with you more. But," she went on, brightening, "at least it's in the library. It can't be all that bad." She pulled a face. "Imagine! I could have been polishing trophies or something awful like that."

Caitlin looked horrified. "In the library? I never go _near the place. I'd rather clean trophies any day. I'll never understand you, Bob."_

"Nor I you," sighed Bob, shaking her head.

Just then, Ginny came in. 

"So, what've I missed?" she asked.

"You're the talk of the school," answered Annie.

"I just lost Gryffindor five points," replied Caitlin.

"And I'm in detention." sighed Bob.

"Oh." Ginny blinked. "Not bad, considering I was only gone for five minutes."

"Well, you _were rather busy." observed Annie._

"We were just talking!" said Ginny defensively, going red.

"Yeah, whatever." said Caitlin, grinning. "'Night!"

***

A/N: My apologies for the short, pointless chapter. It may be very important later on. It probably isn't.

**Next chapter: Ron gets clobbered with a broomstick (it was meant to be this chapter, but it wasn't), Bob gets woken up in the middle of the night (Ditto) and Ron gives Terry murderous glares.**


	4. Quidditch and Questions

Top secret

By HermioneFan

Disclaimer: Bob is mine, all mine! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Everyone else is too! ::Evil looking lawyer guys clutching lawsuits glower threateningly:: I'm joking, I'm joking! Everyone and everything else belongs to the wonderful JKR (except the plot, of course). 

Author's note: So, here's chapter 4. Pleeease tell me what you think of Cho Chang! Do you: Love her/hate her/don't mind her? Tell me. 

Thanks to all who reviewed so far, except cho-granger23 under one of her many names.

***

Sometime later, Bob was shaken awake by Ginny for the second time that week.

"Wow, _déjà vu," she commented, reaching for her glasses and sitting up._

"Did you take those photos?" hissed Ginny accusingly.

"Er…no?"

"All right, so you did. Anyway, have you asked your sister what she thinks about Ron?"

"Well, yes, but it didn't go all that well. She called him – what was it now? – Oh yes, a "brainless, selfish, moronic pig", or something along those lines."

"Oh dear."

"Correct," Bob sighed. "Have you asked your brother what he thinks of her?"

"Not yet," Ginny shook her head. "I think I'd better give him time to cool off, first. He's still getting over the "Harry and me" thing. I'll wait 'till morning. Anyway," she went on, "what else do we have to do?"

Bob pulled out the crumpled note from under her pillow. 

"We have to…" she scanned the page, "scrawl notes on their work and get them to meet in Hogsmeade."

"And get rid of Hannah and Terry," added Ginny, reading over her friend's shoulder. "I think this calls for a spot of double matchmaking."

"What do you mean?" queried Bob.

"We need to get Ron and Hermione _and Hannah and Terry together!"_

"Oh, brilliant!" Bob groaned, falling back against her pillow. "As if our job wasn't difficult enough!"

Next day was Sunday. Ginny woke up early and crept across the common room and up the stairs to Ron's dormitory.

"Ron!" she shook him. "Wake up!"

Ron rolled over and groaned. "G'way, Ginny. You're not 'llowed in here. It's half past five in the ruddy morning, for Pete's sake! Leave me alone!" And with that, he pulled the covers back over his head and went back to sleep – or tried to. Ginny pulled the blanket off him and sat on his feet. 

"Wake up!" she repeated.

"All right." Ron relented. "Whaddayou want?"

"Come down to the common room; I need to talk to you." she told him.

"Oh, if I must." Ron sighed, "Go down while I get changed."

Ginny left the room, pausing, when Ron wasn't looking, to grab a book from his bedside table. When she reached the common room, she found a quill, and under "Ron Weasley, Gryffindor", on the first page, wrote "Me 4 Mione" in a good imitation of her brother's handwriting, encircled it with a heart and put the book under the table where Hermione usually worked. With the amount of homework Ron did, Ginny reckoned he wouldn't miss it anyway.

At that moment, Ron came down the stairs, pulling a Weasley jumper over his head. He flopped down in an overstuffed armchair. 

"So?" he yawned.

"What do you think about Hermione?" Ginny got straight to the point.

Her brother raised an eyebrow. "Why on earth…?"

"Never mind," cut in Ginny.

"Whatever." sighed Ron, too sleepy to delve for logic in the question.

"So…" prompted Ginny.

"If you must know, I think being Head Girl's gone to her already over-large head. She is such a priggish, irritating, goody-goody, know-it-all…she's turning into a right Percy!" he finished, echoing, although he didn't know it, Caitlin's exact sentiments. He eyed Ginny suspiciously.

"I hope you're not consorting with that sister of hers." he said, "Right little swot, I expect, if_ her sister's anything to go by…probably runs in the family. 'Fraternising with the enemy', that's what it is."_

Just then, Hermione came down the stairs, her arms full of books, on her way to the library. 

"Oh," she said, eyeing Ron distastefully over her pile of books. "You're here."

"No law against it, is there?" Ron replied hotly.

Hermione ignored that remark and climbed through the portrait hole, nose in the air. She was followed by Bob, who came down the girls' staircase, an even higher pile of books in her arms.

"Oh, hi Ginny! Hi Ron!" she said cheerfully.

"Hi, Bob!" replied Ginny. 

Ron didn't answer. Bob shrugged (a difficult move, when you're carrying a heap of books as high as your head).

"Oh well," she said, "I'm just off to the library."

"Surprise, surprise." muttered Ron. 

Bob glared at him and climbed through the portrait hole after her sister.

"See what I mean?" complained Ron, "They're all going to turn into Percy one of these days!"

"So, why are you and Hermione fighting, anyway?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I…I…it's too complicated for you to understand." replied Ron.

"That's not an answer," Ginny pointed out. "Come on, Ron! You can tell me – I'm your sister!"

Ron groaned. "I know! I've been trying to avoid that fact. Anyway, you…um, wouldn't understand."

Something suddenly occurred to Ginny. "You can't remember, can you?" she asked him, a smile spreading slowly over her face.

"Yeah, well…"

Ginny burst into laughter. "What…" she choked, "you mean you haven't spoken to each other for three weeks and you don't know why?" 

Here, giggles overcame her completely and she collapsed in an armchair, still laughing hysterically, while her brother watched grumpily.

"Have you finished yet?" he asked testily. "Only I've got to get to Quidditch practice, and it really wasn't that funny in the first place…"

Ginny leaped to her feet. "Quidditch practice?" she exclaimed, "When, now? What time is it?"

"You've got ten minutes." Ron told her.

"_Ten minutes?" Ginny looked horrified. "I've got to find my robes!"_

And with that, she ran up to her dorm, three steps at a time.

***

Ron chuckled to himself. She's going to kill me when she finds out we've still got three hours until practice, he thought. Still…he yawned. At least now I can go back to bed…

***

Three hours and one lump one Ron's head due to Ginny's broom later, the Quidditch team was practising hard down on the pitch, even though (typical British weather) it was raining. The team played well for about half an hour, but after that Ron (as Keeper) seemed to become rather distracted, and fourth-year Pippa Browning and Ginny, both of whom were Chasers this year, put quite a few easy goals past him without his noticing. Roger, one of the Beaters, (who was, coincidentally, Oliver Wood's second cousin's brother's half-sister's uncle's wife's son's great-great aunt's nephew's dog's ex-owner, twice removed) almost knocked Ron off his Cleansweep 6½  with a well aimed Bludger.

"What's up, Ron?" Harry yelled.

Ron didn't answer – he was gazing at the stands. There sat a familiar bushy-haired girl and someone else, who, upon closer inspection, appeared to be Terry Boot. Apparently, they had come to watch the Quidditch, but they were missing most of the action of the game as they seemed to be very busy… (now, before I continue, please pause here to get your mind out of the gutter)…doing homework. Terry was holding an umbrella protectively over his girlfriend's head. Ron was scowling at Terry, and if looks could kill, the Head Boy would have been dead on the spot. Ginny rolled her eyes. She had seen Ron jealous before.

"What's wrong, now, Ron?" she sighed.

"Ravenclaws aren't allowed to be here," Ron replied stiffly.

"Honestly, Ron!" scoffed Ginny, "He's not even on the Quidditch team, and it's not like he's going to steal our new game plays or anything…"

"Especially seeing as we haven't got any, yet," commented Harry, zooming up beside them. Then, changing the subject, he added, "Hey Ginny, d'you want to come for a Butterbeer with me next…"

Ginny, however, shot a warning glance in Ron's direction. Her brother was looking as if the next person to annoy him would end up in the hospital wing for a month. She preferred Harry in one piece. Harry took the hint, for a change, and shut up.

Hermione looked up and saw Ron scowling at her. She nudged Terry, said something, and they both laughed. Hermione stood up.

"I take it we're not wanted here," she called across the pitch. "We'll just go, shall we?"

Ron said nothing. Hermione turned to Terry.

"Let's go; we need to prepare for the prefects' meeting, anyway," she said, almost apologetically.

"Okay," Terry nodded. He picked up Hermione's large and heavy copy of _Numerology and Grammatica ("Hope it breaks his arms," Ron muttered), and the two of them left the stadium._

Harry, taking one look at the murderous expression on Ron's face, decided to call off practice before someone got hurt, and the team made its way back to Gryffindor Tower.

Only Harry and Ginny lingered behind on the Quidditch pitch. 

"You were saying something about a Butterbeer…" reminded Ginny, casually. 

"Oh, yeah!" Harry said, "So, d'you want to meet me at the Three Broomsticks next Hogsmeade weekend?"

A smile spread over Ginny's face. "Of course I do!" she replied, reaching up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to run after the rest of the team.

***

A/N: At last, another chapter! Did you like it? Did you? Did you? Pleeeeeease tell me!

Incidentally, that was the very first kiss I've ever put in a fanfic, not being exactly romantically inclined…All right, so it wasn't much of a kiss, but I'm getting there, OK?

Please tell me about any of my stupid typos which I'm sure I made, as I was typing this rather late at night.

Tell me what you think of Cho! Thanks to those who have.

**Next chapter: The prefects have a meeting, Hermione puts forward a proposition, and Harry and Ron are outnumbered.**


	5. The Prefects' Meeting

Top Secret

Still by HermioneFan, funnily enough

Disclaimer: Oh please.

Author's Note: At last! Sorry this has taken me so long to post – I've been on holiday (in Cape Town, for anyone out there who actually cares). I'm sure you were eagerly awaiting this ::cough, I wish, cough::. 

The prefect who comes in late is a sort of private joke. I have a friend called Jess (with a different surname) and we use each other's names in our fanfics. You may know her as Cho ChangRULES! Or you may not. In case you're at all interested, I'm the first year who falls down all the staircases in her fics. That was your useless info for the day. OK, I'll shut up and let you read the next chapter now…

Oh, no I won't. Sorry. You all have to tell me what you think of Cho Chang, OK? Great. 

Thanks to all my reviewers. I love you all! (In a friendly sort of way). 

Oh, and…::Ducks sharp objects aimed at head:: All right, all right! I'm going! Sheesh…

***

At two o'clock that afternoon, the prefects held their first meeting of the year. There were sixteen of them all told, clustered around the ancient wooden table in the centre of the Prefects' common room. Hannah smiled and waved at Ron, who ignored her completely, tracing the inevitable "Penny loves Percy" with his finger, followed by the equally inevitable "I so do not!", still scowling at Hermione.

Hermione did a quick head count. "Fifteen," she said. "Who's missing?"

"Jess," chorused Alison and Juliet, the Clearwater twins.

"Who else?" sighed the Head Girl. "Oh well, her bad luck. We'll just have to start without her."

The meeting got underway, and went reasonably smoothly (as Hogwarts Prefects' meetings go), unless you counted fifth year Jess Vujovic bursting in half an hour late, which nobody saw as an interruption, this being a regular occurrence.

Suddenly Hermione said, "Some of the students have requested a ball at Christmas this year, similar to the one we had in our fourth year, remember?" she addressed the seventh years.

"As if we could forget," muttered Ron.

Hermione, ignoring him, continued, "I thought I'd put the idea to the Prefects. Well?"

"I like it!" piped up sixth year Emily MacMillan, of Hufflepuff.

"Yeah, you weren't at the last one!" said Ron loudly. "It was such a load of-"

"No, I think it's a good idea," Mandy Brocklehurst cut him off with a reproving look. "After all, we seventh years were the youngest ones to go, so most of the other students have never been to one before."

Ron muttered, "Yeah, the lucky little-"

"Shall we vote on it?" said Terry, ignoring Ron yet again. "All in favour…"

Fourteen hands rose into the air, even, to most people's surprise, Bob's (she was, after all, not the sort of person you'd usually catch dead in a room full of loud music and dancing).

"Against?"

Harry and Ron. "Outnumbered again," Harry sighed.

"That's settled, then." said Hermione, taking charge once more. "Christmas Eve? Good. Meeting adjourned. We'll meet again next weekend to finalise plans."

Bob made her way back towards Gryffindor tower, where she met Ginny, who was leaning against the wall alongside the Fat Lady, still in her scarlet Quidditch robes.

"Bad news," Ginny said, as her friend approached, and explained about the Quidditch practice. "It looks like our plan's not going too well," she concluded.

"I have better news," said Bob, when Ginny had finished. "They've decided to have another Yule Ball! It's a perfect opportunity to work on our plan!"

Ginny stared at Bob as if she had gone mad. "You off your broomstick? I thought you said 'good news'!" She winced. Apparently, her toes had still not recovered.

"It is good news!" Bob protested. "We need something to help with our plan, and this seems like just the thing-"

"To ruin everything," Ginny put in firmly. "_Think, Bob. It's supposed to be what you're good at. They're still fighting about the __last ball. __All we need is another one."_

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Bob agreed reluctantly, "but you must admit, it is a good opportunity to get Hannah and Terry out of the way."

Ginny sighed. "All right," she said, "but _you are in charge."_

***

A/N: Sorry about the not very exciting chapter. It takes all sorts to make a fanfic…

Tell me what you think of Cho Chang! So far, most people seem to have agreed with me: SHE MUST DIE! I particularly like Ciara Moondagger's "she needs to go dig a hole next to Cedric and die there" I must remember that…

**Next chapter: Ginny sets her homework alight, Bob is in detention and a Slytherin gets the famous "what-on-earth-did-you-think-you-were-doing-disturbing-the-quiet-of-the-library" speech.**


	6. THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER

This is not a chapter  
  
A/N: Right now, there is one question driving me nuts. So nuts, in fact, that I had to post this not-exactly-a-chapter to ask other fanfic readers to help me. All you have to do is answer this one simple question:  
  
What the heck happened to Penelope Clearwater?  
  
I had always assumed that she was in the same year as Percy, which would explain her absence from GoF, but in CoS, it says (on page 190 of the original English version, if anyone wants to check) that she is a fifth year, which would mean that she was still at Hogwarts in GoF. Did I miss something, or did she not get a mention at all, even though Percy was there on Ministry of Magic business? Surely she would have come to say hi, or something.  
  
Sorry. I'll just shut up now and let you read something more worthwhile. 


	7. Detention

Top Secret

By ::drumroll please…:: HermioneFan

Disclaimer: You know the drill. 

"I don't know but I've been told (I don't know but I've been told) 

This disclaimer thing is getting old! (This disclaimer thing is getting old!)"

Author's Note: Me again! Sorry about the incredibly long delay. I realise that I haven't posted anything since about August, but you'll just have to forgive me and read the next chapter.

***

The next few days passed uneventfully (if you ignored the fact that Hannah Abbott accidentally set a Quiver Bush alight in Herbology - again - trying, unsuccessfully, to catch Ron's attention - again). On Tuesday evening, Bob and Ginny were puzzling over their History of Magic homework in the common room. Just as Ginny set light to yet another piece of parchment in frustration, Bob looked at her watch, sighed, and shut her neatly written essay inside "Hags of the Seventeenth Century".

"I'd better be going," she said.

"Where?" asked Ginny distractedly, trying to extinguish her homework.

"Detention," replied Bob, aiming a jet of water from her wand onto Ginny's essay.

"Okay, see you later," said Ginny, smoothing out a crumpled piece of parchment, ready to begin her essay anew. 

"Good luck," she muttered. "All right then, Famous Hags of the 1600s…"

Bob reached the library on the dot of 8 o'clock. Madam Pince surveyed her over her spectacles with the air of a hawk sizing up a very fat bunny. 

"Ah, yes," she said. "Your sister told me about _you_."

Bob sighed again. It wasn't as if she was an escaped felon or something. 

"So, er, what should I do?" she asked.

"You can start by arranging the books on that book case into alphabetical order according to author," Madam Pince answered, indicating a shelf far to the left of the library.

Bob looked at the shelf in question. It towered nearly to the library's vaulted ceiling and its shelves were full of ancient, dusty books. She got to work. Using a simple levitation charm, Bob hovered near the top shelf and began to rearrange the books. She could, of course, have used the Ordering Charm, but she supposed that that would defeat the object of a detention somewhat.

From this vantage point, she could see the other students in the library: Alison and Juliet Clearwater, prodding a piece of parchment with their wands and having a whispered, although obviously heated, argument; a few Hufflepuffs ploughing solidly through their homework; a Slytherin third year trying to sneak into the restricted section; Emily Macmillan, browsing the Care of Magical Creatures section for books about Flobberworms and other harmless creatures; and (what a surprise!) Hermione, an entire table spread with heavy books and pieces of parchment covered with the Head Girl's small, neat handwriting. 

Bob moved along the shelf, reorganising the books and wondering whether she should tell Madam Pince about the Slytherin third year. She decided against it, as the books in the restricted section were more than equipped to look after themselves. A few minutes later, she was proven correct as the howl of a wolf, a snap, and a distinct "Ow!" from the restricted section ripped through the quiet of the library. Bob watched as Hermione and Madam Pince set off toward the restricted section, wearing identical irritated scowls. As Bob started on the "B's", she saw the unfortunate Slytherin being dragged out of the restricted section by his ear by Madam Pince before Hermione started on him. The Head Girl was, of course, whispering, but Bob knew that the boy was being given the famous (or infamous) what-on-earth-did-you-think-you-were-doing-disturbing-the-quiet-of-the-library speech. Ginny had heard it so many times that she could recite it backwards, and had, in fact, done so, which was probably why Bob knew it so well. The culprit was banished from the library (for life, most probably, Bob thought) and everyone settled down to work again. 

For the next two hours, Bob worked her way through the books in silence. The library gradually emptied, leaving only Bob, Hermione and a couple of Hufflepuffs. Hermione left her desk and went to look for a book, giving Bob a sudden idea.

She drifted quickly back to earth and hurried over to her sister's table. After checking that Hermione was nowhere in sight, Bob picked up her quill and, on a small scrap of parchment, as she couldn't bring herself to write in a library book, wrote just one word: "Ron", in a small, neat script very much like Hermione's. She ringed it with a heart and slipped the parchment back into the book, as though Hermione had been using it as a bookmark. Then, she made her way quickly back to the bookshelf and engrossed herself in her work once again.

***

A/N: Contrary to popular belief, this fic is actually going somewhere. Really. If you will just bear with me for a while, things will actually start happening (I hope). Please forgive me for any spelling/grammar/whatever mistakes I might have made. If there are any that are glaringly obvious and you are beginning to think that I am a totally and hopelessly stupid person, please tell me in a review or e-mail and I'll do my best to correct my errors.

Thank you so much to all my reviewers! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!

Next chapter: Hermione finds a book and a voice in her head tries to convince her that she's schizophrenic. 


	8. In the Common Room

Top Secret  
By Redheads_Rock (HermioneFan's evil alter ego! Mwahahahahaha!)  
Disclaimer: Do you ever get the feeling you're wasting your breath?  
A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long! I actually wrote it ages ago, but if  
I'm not writing anything new, I don't post the old stuff. Here I am posting  
it anyway.  
This was written way before book 5 came out, so the fact that Cho  
tragically survived the book (Sorry to give that away, but if you haven't  
read it by now. that's weird) and the prefects system is wrong is because  
of that. So don't flame me for Book-5 related errors, because if you do,  
you're an idiot. Live with it.  
Hope you enjoy the first post in, um, ages. Oh, and I want your opinion on  
Cho, OK?  
***  
It was about 11 o'clock before Bob finally returned, exhausted, to  
Gryffindor Tower. There were only a few other students still up. Ron was  
moodily poking a chocolate frog with his wand in an attempt to turn it  
orange, carefully avoiding Hermione's eyes. Hermione, who had left the  
library about half an hour before her sister, was sitting at her usual desk  
in the corner of the common room, finishing off her Arithmancy homework.  
A couple of third years were "studiously" working on their Divination  
homework ("How about. 'due to an unlucky gust of wind, I will fall from a  
high place'? Think she'll buy it?" "Probably not. How about I get caught in  
a shower of meteors because of.er, an irregular orbit of Charon?" "Or 'I  
will give up Divination, due to an ugly old crone in oversized glasses.'").  
"Night 'Mione," yawned Bob, wandering over to her sister's table.  
"Good night, Bob." replied Hermione, still trying to find her place in an  
enormous textbook.  
"Oh, and may I borrow your Transfiguration book?" Bob continued.  
"Why?" Hermione looked up suspiciously.  
"Because I want to set the pixies loose upon it and draw in the margins  
before I burn it as an offering to Phoebe."  
"Very funny. Look after it, okay? If you do anything to it." Hermione  
warned.  
"Come on, Hermione, you know me better than that," scoffed Bob. "Well, good  
night."  
She traipsed up the stairs to her dormitory.  
***  
Hermione looked at her watch and yawned. It was late. She should be going  
to bed, too. She stretched out her legs, and as she did so, she kicked  
something under the desk. Bending down to see what it was, she found a  
book. Honestly, the things some people left lying around! Idly, she flipped  
over the cover to see who the owner was. "Ron Weasley, Gryffindor." she  
read, and under that "Me 4 Mione", scrawled in Ron's unmistakeable  
handwriting and encircled with a heart. Her own heart did a funny sort of  
leap. No, impossible, she thought. Not Ron. All right, so she had liked him  
and she was pretty sure he had felt the same. but that was years ago. She  
shook her head as if trying to clear it. She read those three words again.  
Amazing, she thought, what three simple words could do to a previously  
sensible human being.  
She glanced over to where Ron was slumped in an armchair, gazing into the  
fire, having turned his chocolate frog an interesting shade of puce and  
thrown it at the Divination third years for no apparent reason. Hermione  
decided to give him the book back.  
"Er, Ron?" she said nervously, moving across to the armchair.  
"What?" he asked, without looking up.  
"I think this is yours."  
Something in her voice made Ron look up. He was totally astounded to see  
that she seemed to be blushing. Hermione Granger, blushing? It didn't make  
sense. Then again, he reasoned, girls in general didn't make sense. Must be  
a girl thing, he decided. Aloud, all he said was, "Oh, thanks."  
Hermione looked as though she wanted to say something else. Ron raised a  
questioning eyebrow. "Yeah?"  
"Er, nothing." Hermione muttered and returned to her desk.  
Why didn't you tell him? said an irritating little Voice in her head.  
Tell him what, exactly? I don't have anything to tell him, she thought  
angrily, stuffing books violently into her bag.  
Are you sure? persisted the Voice.  
Quite positive, thanks.  
Half aloud, she muttered, "I think I'm going to go to bed now before the  
voice in my head convinces me I'm schizophrenic,"  
Ignoring the continued arguing of the Voice, Hermione swung her bag over  
her shoulder and headed up the stairs to her nice, warm, sane bed.  
***  
A/N: At last! Something happened! Not very much, I admit, but it's better  
than nothing.  
Just to let you know, this is about as soppy as I get (I hope!), so if long  
romantic scenes with every detail of everything are your thing, you're  
reading the wrong fic. Go home.  
Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! I love you all! ::Blows kisses::  
I'll be back with the next chapter soonish.  
Next chapter: Someone gets hexed, Bob nearly gets roasted on a spit and  
Hannah sets a greenhouse alight. 


End file.
